The Long Road Back
by Jaesha
Summary: Gambit returns to the XMen after a seven year absence and finds everything thing has changed. Note On Updates
1. Default Chapter

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The Long Road Back

By Jaesha

_All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write_. 

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Remy LeBeau looked at his reflection in the mirror-like surface of the water. He had aged in the seven years away from the X-Men. Grinning, he thought to himself, 'Yeah, but I still look good'. 

Remy stood up from his crouched position at the edge of the pond and ran a hand through his dark brown hair before turning and walking away towards his motorcycle. He had a long ride ahead of him, three or four hours on his bike could get mighty uncomfortable, but it was too late to turn back now. He lifted one powerful leg over the seat of the bike and sat down. 

He just sat there for a moment, then put on his dark sunglasses. "Well, Remy, dis here's your chance. You wanna turn back?" He asked himself as he wondered if going all the way up to Westchester was such a great idea.

He hadn't exactly left on good terms with everyone. There were many reasons why he left, but the biggest was Rogue. She had never really forgiven him for what happened in Antarctica, she said that she had, but Remy was no fool. He saw right through her. He knew that she resented him for all the secrets he kept even though she had some secrets of her own. 

When she had absorbed his memories in Antarctica, she absorbed his self-hatred as well. And truth be told, he hated that he had kept the secrets from her and that had added to her resentment. Like she had taken on his feelings about his inability to tell her about what had happened when she absorbed him.

The arguments flew rampant. He had gotten on the defensive about how she felt even though he knew it was all his fault. The words that had been eating them up inside were exchanged. He had told her that he must have been crazy for trying to be with her. He couldn't get what he wanted from her so the relationship wasn't worth it. All the anger and frustration had finally flooded out of him.

And in return, all of her hurt and pain had poured down like acid rain over him. In the instant that he saw her heart break in two jagged pieces, he realized what he had done. She was lost to him after that. She didn't even say anything, she just walked away.

Logan had confronted him later that day. Wolverine had always been the self-proclaimed protector of the team, but more so over the female members. Always getting involved in things that had nothing to do with him. Logan told him that he had been forewarned about hurting Rogue after he had returned from Antarctica. Those were the only words Logan said to him. He attacked and Remy countered. The fight seemed to last for hours.

As always, Logan had an immeasurable amount of energy. It didn't matter how many times Remy knocked him down, punched him, threw one of his charged cards at him...the man just wouldn't stop going. He had beaten Wolverine a few times in the past, but he knew that time he couldn't have won the battle. He hit him with a charged metal pole and knocked the wind out of him, then walked away.

Several members of the X-Men weren't there at the time of Remy's decision to leave. Hank McCoy, Bobby Drake, Betsy Braddock, Warren Worthington, and Professor Charles Xavier were all away on various tasks. Remy had debated whether or not to tell anyone he was leaving, but decided that he had to at least tell Scott Summers, the leader of the X-Men.

As usual Scott had gone into one of his rampages, saying that Remy was selfish and that the team mattered more than any personal dispute. At some point in the discussion...or rather the argument, Ororo Munroe, or Storm as most know her, and Jean Grey, Scott's wife, walked in. 

Jean had been understanding, she always had been. She had tried to calm Scott down, but to no avail. Storm, on the other hand, was unusually critical of him. She called him a deserter. That had stung him more than he cared to show. The one person who had always stuck by him and his decisions, no matter how wrong they were, was now saying that he was abandoning them. Remy shot back that he was never really part of the team, that nobody trusted him. With that, he left.

And now, here he was, seven years later, standing on the fork in the road. Should he go back and face what he had forsaken? Or should he turn away and ignore the overwhelming guilt he still held?

He blinked, then started up his motorcycle, the hard vibration running through his tense body, and drove it up the road. He turned left on the highway, only vaguely noticing the large sign that said: Boston: 243 miles.

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The mansion looked the same as when Remy left it. He pulled his motorcycle to a stop in front of the large building. He tugged off his sunglasses and felt a sudden twinge of nostalgia, the pain in his chest overwhelming for a moment. He remembered the first time he had ever seen Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. A laugh escaped his throat as he hit the kickstand on his bike down with his foot. He unstraddled the bike and stretched for a minute, before shrugging.

"Well, it's now or never, LeBeau."

He walked to the door and rang the doorbell.

He waited for a moment, then rang it again. He turned away from the door and looked over the landscape of the front lawn. He was so preoccupied with taking in every detail that he didn't here the door open behind him.

"Can I help you?" A voice asked.

Remy swung around and looked the woman dead in the eyes. Immediately, he knew who she was. Jubilation Lee was just a young girl when he left, not even a full-fledged member of the X-Men yet. She was no child anymore though. She had grown into a woman.

"Remy? Is that you?" She asked, her dark brown, almond-shaped eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oui, chere. It's me," he replied as she jumped into his arms.

They hugged for a few minutes before she pulled away. She had the same hairstyle, short and simple. That was the only thing that had remained the same though. Her body had blossomed, her figure had finally set into its natural feminine course. She was an inch or two taller and she had gained some weight, no longer the skinny child she used to be.

"I don't know what to say, Remy. It's been so long. Must be close to six or seven years, right?" She asked, as she shook her head, still not believing he was standing in front of her.

Remy nodded. This was a lot harder than he thought. He didn't know what to say, what to do, how to act. 

Sensing Remy's feeling of inadequacy, Jubilee took the reins of the conversation. "Lot's has changed since you left, Remy. Not all of it good."

Panic enveloped him as he managed to say, "what happen'd, chere?"

She smiled and took his gloved hand in hers, then led him inside. "About a year after you left, Jean and Scott were driving up to Martha's Vineyard and Scott lost control of the car. They hit a semi-truck and Scott was killed instantly."

Remy's heart sank. He and Scott had never seen eye to eye, but Remy considered him his friend. He closed his eyes, letting the news sink in slowly. "How did he lose control, chere? What about Jean?"

Jubilee's eyes began to water. Her gaze drifted to the floor then back up to Remy's burning red and black eyes. She shook her head slightly. Remy could tell that Jubilee hadn't thought much about the ordeal in quite a while.

"Professor Xavier said that he believed the car had been tampered with but we are still not sure who was responsible. Someone cut the brake lines and when Scott went to slow the car on a steep hill the car wouldn't stop. There was a sharp curve and he couldn't make the turn." Jubilee explained, her voice beginning to choke her throat.

"An' Je-"

"She was in a coma for five weeks and she lost the baby she was carrying. She didn't even know she was pregnant until after the baby was already gone. She went into to this depression and caused her psyche to shut down. It took another year before the Professor could get her back, but she hasn't been the same since." The tears streamed down her face but she continued walking with Remy down the hall.

Remy didn't know how to take it all in at once. Scott's death, Jean's breakdown, and the baby they lost. Those two were the glue that held the team together and now they were gone. How did the rest of the team cope? He couldn't even imagine.

"I don' know what to say to dat, chere," Remy replied.

"There's more."

Jubilee's words echoed in his head. What else could have happened?

"Logan and Storm got married a month after Jean regained her psyche."

Remy looked at Jubilee for a minute. Had Storm and Logan really gotten married? For a second, Remy was debating whether or not he had ever seen anything even close to romance between them, but then his thoughts turned. Why was that bad? Something else must have happened for Jubilee to bring it up in this topic of conversation. They were talking about the bad things that had happened, not the good.

"What else happen'd?"

"Logan was kidnapped by those people that put the adamntium in his bones and they erased his memory. When we found him, he didn't know who we were. He tried to attack us. He almost killed Storm. The Professor convinced him that we could help him, so Logan came back with us. He got most of his memories back, but he still has lapses," Jubilee replied as she squeezed Remy's hand.

"Is dere anymore, chere?"

"Yes, Betsy has been missing for two years. She was here, then she just disappeared. Warren left the team shortly after she came up missing. He's obsessed with finding her.

"Hank infected himself with a deadly virus, but thankfully, he found a cure before it was too late. He's in Washington right now, lobbying for more federal funding for his research.

"And the most exciting thing that happened was Rogue learned how to control her absorption abilities."

Remy stopped walking and froze, just staring at Jubilee. Rogue learned how to control her power. She could touch people now. She could touch him. "Where is she?" He asked, determination and obsession compelling him to find her, to touch her skin. 

"I think she's in the kitchen, but Remy-"

Remy ran away from Jubilee and towards the kitchen, thoughts racing through his mind. It didn't matter what happened in the past, it could be mended as long as she still wanted him. How could she not? He was still in love with her after all this time and she felt the same way about him before he left. She must still feel for him. Things would work, they just had to try and--

Remy skidded to a stop in front of the doorway to the kitchen. His eyes widened as he saw her, his heart shattering into a million pieces. She wasn't alone.

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	2. Chapter 2

All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write.

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The shock was apparent on her face.

Rogue stared into the red on black eyes of the man she had considered to be her soul mate before he left her seven years before. The emotions that ran through her body and mind confused her. 

"Remy? Ah-" Her voice cracked. The tears began to burn her eyes as she tried with everything in her to not let them free-flow.

"Rogue," he whispered. He didn't move, just stood, frozen, in the kitchen doorway.

She didn't know who he was looking at, his eyes darting between the three of them. He seemed confused, but she could have been mistaken. She had grown to realize over the years she had known him that his facial expressions were extremely hard to read.

"Mama? Who's that man?" The little girl asked as she clung to Rogue's skirt.

"This is-"

"Mama? Rogue?" In that instant, Rogue was sure that the expression on his face was that of confusion.

"Yes, Remy, this is mah daughter, Glory." Rogue's tears slid down her cheek as Remy looked away from her and down at the floor.

"Daddy? Who is he?" The voice of Glory was demanding as she moved from one parent to the next, seeing as though she couldn't get a straight answer from her mother.

In one swift move, he picked her up and held her in one arm. His blue eyes glanced over at the Cajun, then at his wife. He had been hoping that this day would never come, but it had apparently came to kick up old dust.

"Hello, Remy. Long time, no see."

Remy's eyes narrowed. "Dat's for sure, Bobby. Looks like a lot has changed while I was gone."

Bobby could feel his anger welling up inside his rigid body. He had never liked Remy. Ever since Gambit had joined the X-Men, he had turned everyone's world upside-down especially Rogue's. The day Remy left, Bobby felt the tension leave the mansion with him and he was secretly overjoyed. But now, here he was, the Cajun, come back to ruin everyone's life.

"Well, what did you expect? For us not to go on with our lives after you left? That's pretty selfish, Gambit," Bobby growled, handing Glory to Rogue as he took a step closer to Remy.

"Bobby! Stop it! You never liked Remy, but some of consider him our friend," Jubilee said as she walked in the kitchen and between the two men.

"I don't get it, Jubes! This swamp rat leaves the team and all of his so-called friends and doesn't even send you any word that he's okay, and you still take his side over mine. I have been here for you and Rogue and everyone else that was supposed to be his friend. Why? What is it about him that you find so wonderful?" Bobby shouted.

Jubilee turned around to face Remy only to find that he had ducked out of the doorway and had disappeared. She swung back around.

"Bobby, why are you so jealous of him? Can't you ever just let it be? You have what you've always wanted," Jubilee pointed at Rogue and Glory, "just give it a rest!"

"Jubes, I-"

"I don't want to hear it!" She yelled as she ran out of the kitchen to find Remy.

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	3. Chapter 3

_All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write._

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Remy walked out the front door of the mansion and towards his motorcycle. It was getting dark. He didn't have much light to leave with. Just the pale moonlight and his headlight. He shrugged. It was time to go regardless of how much light there was.

He still couldn't let it all sink in. Too much had happened. Scott and Jean. Logan and Storm. Betsy and Warren. Rogue and-

"Damn." Remy stopped for a second. He never really believed she would find someone else and Bobby was right about that being selfish. He blinked for a minute. Of all people, Rogue chose Bobby.

Remy shook the thoughts from his head and continued down the steps towards his bike. He was about to get on it when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Where ya going, Gumbo?"

Remy turned around to see Wolverine leaning against the wall on one side of the front door smoking a cigar. Remy was just as shocked to see Logan as he was shocked that he hadn't even noticed him standing there when he walked out of the mansion.

"I'm leaving. Nobody wants me here." Remy ran a hand through his hair. He never thought talking to Logan would make him feel so awkward.

"And by nobody ya mean everybody, right? Well, you ain't asked me how I feel yet, so don't go assuming ya know how everyone here feels," Logan replied as he put out his cigar on the soul of his black boot.

It was nice to know that at least one person had stayed the same. Logan seemed like his old self even though he had apparently lost some memory.

"How do you feel, mon ami?" Remy crossed his arms.

"I think ya should stop runnin' away from your problems. That's what got'cha into this mess in the first place," Logan told him.

"I seem to r'member you not wantin' me around, Logan. What changed your mind?" Remy asked, still keeping his distance from him. Remy trusted Logan, but he wasn't sure if Logan was just saying what he was saying so that Remy would be caught off guard when Logan tried to kill him again.

"Me? I don't remember not wantin' ya around." Logan's eyes glazed over and he brought up a large hand to rub a temple.

Remy thought he might have been trying to fool him again, but something changed his mind. Jubilee did say he was still missing a lot of his memories. Could it be possible that Logan had no memory of the day Remy left?

"You don' r'member dat you tried to kill me?"

Logan looked down at him and blinked for a few seconds before shaking his head. The frustration was colored on his face. "No, Cajun, I don't."

Silence followed Logan's admission. Remy didn't know how to react to someone who didn't remember the last time they had seen each other. Like the tie had been severed and now he didn't have a link back. Logan didn't know how to act when he couldn't remember how he felt about Remy. Had he been angry? Sad? Happy? He just didn't know.

Remy thought for a long time about whether or not to fill in the missing moments in Logan's life for him. "Do you r'member anyt'ing at all?"

"I don't remember much. Just that ya were here one minute and the next you wasn't. I know what happened between Rogue and ya, but I don't remember how I felt or reacted," Logan told him. Remy could see the unmistakable hurt in Logan's eyes and he wished there was something he could do.

Remy walked a little closer to the front steps. "So what are you doin' out here all by yourself, mon ami?"

The change of subject caused Logan's expression to lighten up some. "Ro don't like me smokin' inside. She's tryin' to get me to quit all together, but givin' up these things, " he raised the remainder of the cigar up, looking at it fondly, "is like tryin' to give up her. Ain't gonna happen."

"Yes, I heard about dat. You and Stormy, I mean."

Logan grinned at Remy's nickname for his wife. "I don't think she likes that name very much, bub."

Remy chuckled. "I know, dat's why I call her dat. She's beautiful when she's-" Remy stopped what he was saying. It was hard for him to remember that he was talking to Storm's husband. "Sorry, Logan, I got a little carried away."

"Don't worry about it. She was your friend and nothin' that happened has changed that."

Remy shook his head. "Non, mon ami, I t'ink you wrong about dat. Stormy was pretty angry with me for leaving an' I figure she still is."

Logan leaned away from his position against the wall and began to walk down the steps towards Remy. "Well, Cajun, looks like you got a lot to learn about us. Lot's has changed since you left. Come with me, I wanna show you something."

"What is dat, Logan?"

"Don't worry about what it is. Just c'mon." Logan said as he walked past Remy and made his way across the lawn towards the large trees on the right side of the property. Remy shrugged. What did he have to lose?

Remy swiftly ran and caught up with Logan just as he was about to go into the deep woods. They both disappeared into the dark green grass.

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Rogue walked to the door of the bedroom she and Bobby shared. She didn't know what to expect from Bobby now that Remy had returned. She didn't know what to expect from herself either.

She opened the door and stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind her. The room was dim, a breeze blowing through the open window. She made out Bobby's form sitting on the edge of their bed.

"Ah put Glory ta bed. She fell right ta sleep," Rogue said as she walked a little closer to Bobby.

Bobby didn't say anything. He didn't even move. That scared Rogue more than anything. Bobby had always been the one with the reply or reaction. When he didn't do anything, Rogue knew something was seriously wrong.

"Bobby?"

A long silence followed, but was broken by the sound of his voice breaking the dead calm. "Do you still love him, Rogue?"

Rogue had known he was going to ask her that, but that hadn't made her anymore equipped to answer. "What kinda question is that?"

"The kind I already know the answer to."

Rogue felt her heart ache. She didn't like that she caused him so much pain, but what could she do? She sat down beside him and grabbed his hand in her own, rubbing the back of it with her long, slender fingers.

"What do ya want me ta do, sugah? Lie ta ya? Ah can't do that."

"I know."

"You knew when we got t'gether that Ah was still in love with Remy. Ah never told ya different, did Ah?" Rogue shook her head. She didn't want to have this conversation, but knew that Bobby wouldn't have peace until he knew exactly how she felt about the situation.

"No, you didn't."

"Remy and Ah had been through a lot and Ah'm not gonna say that Ah can forget it. But sugah, that's in the past. Ah'm your wife an' the mother of your child. Ah love ya an' just because Remy has come back to our lives doesn't mean Ah'm gonna leave what Ah've worked so hard to get." Rogue's hand left Bobby's and she brushed his cheek.

Bobby placed his hand over hers and moved closer to her touch. He closed his eyes, her touch leaving a shiver on his skin. He didn't care how long he had been with her. She still made him feel the same way as she did the first time she touched him.

"Rogue, I-"

She put her finger to his lips. "Shhh, sugah," she said in a whisper, her skin flushed, "it doesn't matter. All that matters is you an' me."

She leaned to him and kissed him deeply. He tried very hard to keep his attentions to his beautiful wife, but the deep feeling of anxiety still filled his stomach. She was kissing him, loving him, but who was she thinking about? Him or Remy?

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	4. Chapter 4

All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write.

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Remy followed Logan through the tall grass and thick foliage. He wasn't sure where they were going and in truth, that wasn't what he was thinking about.

Rogue still looked as beautiful as ever, but now she glowed. Remy didn't know what that was from. Being a mother? Being a woman and a wife? Seeing him? Maybe all three?

"Ya should stop thinkin' 'bout her, Cajun." Logan said as he turned to look at him.

Remy blinked for a minute. "I can't. She's in my blood, mon ami. Always has been and always will be. I don' care who she's married to."

"That's a dangerous attitude. I hope for your sake that you ain't plannin' to try an' steal her from Bobby," Logan replied, stepping over a large rock.

"What makes you t'ink I hafta steal her?"

Logan stopped and put out his hand to stop Remy. "Now listen here, Gumbo, I don't care what you think is goin' on, but let me spell it out for ya. She's married. She's got a kid. An' ya ain't gonna do nuthin' to screw that up. Got it?"

Remy looked down at Logan's hand which rested on his chest and pushed it away. "I don' plan on tryin' t'ruin anyone's marriage. But I can't stop her from doin' what she wants t'do, Logan."

"Well, what makes ya think that she wants ya? She seems to be pretty content with ol' snowboy." Logan grinned.

Remy looked down at the ground. "Are we close t'dis place or what?"

Logan, realizing his mistake, nodded and pointed. "We are here."

"Why are we-" Remy caught glimpse of something behind a wild tangle of ivy. He walked over to it and peeled back some of the twisted green plants. After removing the ivy, Remy stepped back to see what he had uncovered.

"Scott."

Remy looked at Logan walking up beside him, then back at the marble angel that protected the grave of Scott Summers. With its wings spread out, the angel prayed towards the sky, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Remy kneeled down and touched the ground with his fingers. "Jubilee told me 'bout what happened, but I guess I didn' want t'believe it."

"Nobody does. Why do ya think it looks as if no one has visited for years? I think I am the only one who still comes here." Logan crossed his arms.

"No one? Not even Jean?"

Logan laughed shortly. "Jean ain't the same person anymore. I'm guessin' ya ain't seen her yet."

"Non, mon ami, I haven't."

"Yeah, so quick to leave over something that is only one part of the puzzle. Never figured ya as the type, Cajun." 

"Why do you want me t'stay so bad?" Remy stood up and turned to Logan.

Instead of looking at Remy, Logan just stared at the stone angel and smiled. "Ya know, me an' ol' one-eye here have had some good talks since he died. Maybe they were good 'cause he wasn't talkin' back, but I feel like I understand him now. The one thing Scott always said was that we were part of something bigger than ourselves. We are, ya know?"

"I don' t'ink I follow you."

"Ya always felt like an outsider. Like nobody trusted ya. What'cha don't realize is that it wasn't us that were untrusting, it was you that was untrusting. Ya never let yourself become a part of that something bigger. Ya were afraid to belong to something that with the good or the bad would still be here." 

"I don' agree wit you, mon ami. None of de X-Men ever trusted me." Remy said coldly.

"Then why'd we want ya to stay? Why'd Scott try an' get ya to understand that ya were part o' the team regardless of what you've done in the past?" Logan asked him.

"I don' r'member it dat way. I seem t'recall dat you all thought I was a traitor because I lead de Mauraders to kill de Morlocks!" Remy shouted.

"No, Remy, ya thought ya were the traitor. Ya never forgave yourself for doin' what'cha did. Ya came back here after Ro and Kitty talked ya into it an' ya acted as though everything was alright. That ya had let the past rest, but ya didn't, did ya?" 

Remy stayed silent. Logan wasn't sure if that was because he was too stubborn to realize the truth or he was too afraid to confess blaming himself for everything that had happened.

"We've all done some pretty horrible things in our lives. Ya aren't the first an' ya won't be the last. Ya can't continue blaming yourself for something that ya had no control over. If ya hadn't been the one to lead the Marauders, someone else would have. It's time to let it go an' move on." 

Remy nodded slowly. Logan was right. Remy hated to admit it but damn it all if Logan hadn't been reading his mind. "How you know dis, mon ami?"

"How? Listen, kid, me an' you are one in the same. Ya think I don't know what it's like to be an outsider? Or that I don't know what it's like to want something I can't have? Ya are a lot like me, Cajun. Face it. An' if I can get over my demons, so can ya," Logan said, taking his eyes away from the angel and staring at Remy.

"So, now what?"

"What do ya want to happen?" Logan countered.

"Don' know dat."

"What did ya want when ya decided to come back up here?"

Remy thought for a long time. What did he want? He knew what he didn't want and that was to be alone anymore. He was tired of moving and hiding and trying to fill a need. He needed to be around people who cared about him. He needed to belong again. "I wanna be a part of de X-Men again."

Logan just smiled as he motioned for Remy to follow him once more. Remy nodded and started to follow him, but stopped and turned back to the angel. He walked to the angel and kissed his fingertips, then brought them up to the angel's cheek. He traced the cold stone as if trying to wipe away the tear. "If you listenin' up dere, Scott, I jus' wanted to say I'm back for good. No more runnin'."

"Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, mon ami."


	5. Chapter 5

_All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write._

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Remy said goodbye to Logan as he walked down the hallway. And again he was alone, but this time with a new sense of belonging. 

He looked at the familiar wooden door of his old room. Logan had told him they kept the room for him if he had ever decided to return. He said it had been Scott's idea. Remy wondered why Scott thought he would return after everything that had happened.

"Stubborn as a mule," Remy said, chuckling as he opened the door and stepped inside the dark room.

He flicked on the light switch and felt another pang of nostalgia, just like the one he had when he arrived at the mansion. Everything was the same, nothing had been moved. There was no dust on anything though and that was the only indication that someone had taken the time to keep it clean over the years.

He stepped over to the bed and sat down. The mattress was soft and he sunk into it. He suddenly realized how much he missed his bed. After years of wandering, moving from hotel room to hotel room, the comfort of a familiar mattress was almost more than he could take.

His eyes teared a little and he quickly swiped the salty liquid away. It wasn't like him to get overly emotional, but he felt as if a huge rock had been lifted from his chest. He was finally....home.

He smiled and leaned over to turn on the radio. His favorite jazz and blues station was still around and his smile widened. He stood up and hummed a few notes of Ella Fitzgerald before walking over to the bathroom. 

Scott and Jean had finally convinced the Professor to put in individual bathrooms a year before Remy left. After a few incidents where a few of the male students had gotten into the female showers, they figured it was time to add some privacy for everyone.

Remy turned on the light and began stripping his dirty clothes off his tired and sore body. He didn't realize how hard the ride had been on him until that moment. He turned on the hot water in the stand up shower and began testing it until it was the right temperature. Steaming hot. That's the way he liked it.

He turned to the cabinet below the sink and pulled out a bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo. He opened the glass door to the shower and threw the soap and the shampoo inside.

He winced for a second when the hot water showered down on his skin, but soon it was comfortable for him. He grabbed a bar of soap and began rubbing it over his skin. He washed off the slippery suds and reached for the shampoo.

He had cut his hair short after leaving Westchester. He went straight down to Lousianna and in the heat of August, his long hair was more of a burden than a blessing. He still kept it semi-long on top, but was cut short at the nape of his neck.

He washed his hair and rinsed himself off before jumping out of the shower. He walked to the mirror and wiped away the steam. He looked the same. Only a few lines on his face showed his age. He picked up a comb and brushed his hair back.

He grabbed a towel from the rack next to the shower and wrapped it around his waist, then walked back into his room. He went to his dresser and opened the top drawer. He was about to rummage through the clothes but a knock on his door stopped him.

He moved swiftly to the door and opened it. A grin appeared on his face. "Well, what brings you t'my door, chere?"

Jubilee's shocked expression loosened some. She hadn't known he was going to open the door half naked, but it was a pleasant surprise. "I-um-er came to talk to you."

Remy nodded. "I see, you wanna come in or are you just gonna stand dere?"

"No, no, I'll come in," Jubilee said, her shock was still apparent through her voice.

Remy stepped aside and let her come inside, then closed the door with a loud bang. Jubilee jumped and turned to face him. He looked like the devil. His red and black eyes glittering, his body glistening with beads of water, and that grin.

In an instant his expression changed. He was more serious now. "Eh, chere, let dis Cajun get dressed. Don' t'ink it too proper me standin' here in a towel." 

Jubilee nodded, even though she was disappointed. "Alright, I'll wait right here."

"Trés bon," Remy told her as he walked to the dresser, grabbed some clothes, and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Oh, boy." Jubilee let out a huge breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Logan opened the door to his room and found his wife curled up under the covers of their bed, reading a book. "I was wondering when you were coming to bed, my love. I was thinking about sending a search party." She smiled, her eyes glittering.

Logan grinned as he walked to the bed and sat down, facing her. She immediately sat up and set her book aside. "Did Jubilee tell ya?"

Storm seemed perplexed and Logan knew then she hadn't heard. "Tell me what, Logan?"

Logan scratched his head, trying to find the words. "It's about Gambit."

Storm brought a hand up to cover her mouth. The terror was in her eyes. "What happened, Logan? Did something happen to Remy?"

Logan took her hand away from her mouth and enclosed it in his own. "Well, sorta."

Storm's expression turned angry. She hated riddles and she knew Logan did as well, so why was he playing games with her? "Logan," she warned.

"He's here."

"What?"

"He's here. He showed up a couple o' hours ago." Logan felt Storm pull her hand away. She scrambled out of bed and pulled her long silver robe on. 

She started towards the door but Logan stopped her by grabbing her arm gently. "Ro, I don't think it's a good idea to go buggin' him right now."

She swung around to face him and yanked her arm away. "How can you say that, Logan? I have not seen him in seven years. By the Goddess!"

"Now, darlin', calm down."

"No, I will not calm down, Logan. The man just left and I want an explanation." Storm turned to the door again.

Logan laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her from the door and to him. "Ya know why he left."

Storm struggled for a minute, but calmed down. "I know."

"He found out about Rogue," Logan stated.

Storm felt a twinge of sympathy. No matter what had happened, she still considered Remy her brother and she didn't like him feeling unhappy. "Oh, how terrible! Just more of a reason why I should go see him."

"I think he just needs some time to himself, Ro." Logan searched her eyes. He could stare into them for hours. They looked like a stormy sky over a dark sea.

Storm always compromised when it came to Logan. It was a hard relationship since they were both very headstrong. She had promised to stop trying to boss him around if he stopped smoking those horrid cigars. 'What is that smell', she thought.

"Logan?" Storm questioned.

Logan let her go as he knew he was in for a lecture. She could smell the cigar. 

"Now, darlin', don't go lecturin' me. We just made that deal a couple o' weeks ago, you can't expect me ta just give 'em up right this second," Logan told her.

Storm folded her brown arms over her chest, then walked past him and jumped back into bed. She picked up her book and tried very hard to ignore him.

"Ro, don't ignore me. Ya know how I can't stand that." Logan turned to face the bed.

Storm didn't look up. She flipped a page and brought the book closer to her face.

Logan growled, his eyes narrowing as he got ready to jump on the bed. Storm, seeing his motive, threw the book and tried desperately to unravel herself from the sheets. It was too late..

Logan pounced and caught Storm in his arms as he rolled her over on top of him. She didn't try to get away from him. She knew what his intentions were.

"Well, you have my attention, Logan. What do you intend to do with it?" Storm asked, her voice seductive.

Logan grinned. "Me? Nuthin'. We had a deal, I quit smokin' and you stop tryin' to be in charge all the time. Well, I broke our deal, so now you got the advantage, darlin'. What'cha gonna do? Take charge?"

"I might, I just might," Storm said, smiling, as she leaned over to kiss her husband.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jubilee sat on the edge of Remy's bed. She had been in his room before and with him in it, but for some reason she couldn't shake this feeling of nervousness in her stomach.

She, like most of the other females in the mansion, had had a crush on Gambit from the minute she met him. How could she not? The man was incredibly handsome, strong, smart, and charming. She never let him in on her feelings though. She knew he would just reject her because she was still a kid and she couldn't take that. 

But now she was a woman and he couldn't use that excuse. Was that why she had come up to his room? To tell him she had feelings for him?

"No way!" Jubilee exclaimed as she jumped up and started for the door.

"Where you goin', p'tite?"

Jubilee turned around so fast she got dizzy. She reached out for something to keep her from toppling over, but found nothing. She began to tip when she felt one strong arm go around her waist.

"Whoa, girl, don' fall. Come have a seat," he said as he helped her back to the bed.

Jubilee blinked, trying to get the room to stop spinning. She rubbed her temples furiously. "Must have been that sushi I ate earlier." She laughed and struggled to look up at him.

"Raw fish," he groaned.

Jubilee punched him in the shoulder. "I happen to like raw fish and you shouldn't talk. You eat the weirdest food I have ever seen."

"I don' r'member you complainin' las' time I made dinner."

"Remy, that was seven years ago. If I did complain, you probably forgot," Jubilee told him, giggling a little.

Remy sat down on the bed and ran a hand through his wet hair. Jubilee knew she had said the wrong thing the second he looked at her.

"Um, Remy, I'm sor-"

He put his hand out to stop her from speaking. "Non, chere, don' be sorry. You don' have t'tiptoe 'round it. I screwed up, you can say it."

"I don't care about what happened, Remy. It was in the past and I know you had your reasons for leaving. Everyone else may hold a grudge, but not me," Jubilee said as she smiled up at him.

Remy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her next to him. He squeezed her so tight she almost couldn't breathe and when he kissed her on the top of her head, she knew she couldn't breathe.

"Thanks, ma p'tite chere. I really needed t'hear dat right 'bout now," he told her as he let his hold on her loosen.

The silence that followed was the most uncomfortable Jubilee had ever experienced, well, not entirely the most uncomfortable but it was certainly in the top five.

"So, what have you been doin' dese last few years, Jubes?" 

Jubilee thought for a minute before answering. "School. I've just finished my last year of college. I recieved my masters degree in Social Science. Never would've thought that little Jubilation would have actually amounted to anything, huh?"

Remy shook his head then placed a finger underneath Jubilee's chin, turning her to face him. "Non, Jubes, I always knew dat you would've become somet'ing so much more dan de rest o'dem. You were de smartest in your class."

"Oh, I don't-"

"I do, Jubes, an' don't you ever forget how special you are."

Jubilee tried to resist the growing flush on her cheeks at his obvious compliment, but couldn't hold back the blush. She smiled and turned her gaze away from him. 

Jubilee was shocked. She had never remembered Remy being this open with anyone, let alone her. Sure, they had been friends but nothing that anyone would call a true friendship. Now here he was telling her exactly how he felt about her. And if he wasn't, he had sure made a fool out of her.

"What's wrong, p'tite?"

"Um, nothing, nothing. Just a little embarrassed, that's all." She hadn't meant to tell him how foolish she thought she was acting, but it seemed that she had a loose tongue around the Cajun.

Remy brushed her cheek with his finger and looked into her eyes. "Why? Why should you be embarrassed dat I told you how wonderful you are?"

Jubilee's stomach did a flipflop and she pulled away from him. Was he coming on to her? No, he couldn't be. He wasn't interested in her that way, was he?

"Remy, I better go. I'm sure you are tired." Jubilee stood up and walked to the door.

"What's wrong, p'tite? Did I do somet'ing?"

"No, Remy, I just think I had better go get some sleep. I had a long day. I'll see you in the morning," she said as she left Remy's room.

After closing the door, Jubilee leaned against it and let out a sigh. If he had been coming on to her then why did she leave? She had wanted his attention, hadn't she?

"Oh, boy." Jubilee shook her head at the many thoughts running through her mind and decided that she needed a shower and sleep to clear her head.


	6. Chapter 6

All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write.

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Remy stared into his coffee cup. He hadn't slept much the night before. A combination of confusion and self-evaluation had kept him up into the wee hours of the morning. But he was used to such nights and knew all he needed was some strong coffee and a dash of hot sauce to get himself focused.

He found himself thinking of Jubilee most of the night. Why had she run out of his room like she had seen a ghost? What had he done to make her pull away from him? 

After many years away from her, he had realized that he had taken her for granted. She was probably one of the only people who never questioned him. And it didn't matter that the reason she hadn't asked him about his past was that they hadn't been that close. Many other team members were farther from being friends with him than she had and they asked just as many, if not more, questions than had Rogue or Storm, who were his closest companions.

Maybe he had laid the compliments to thick. Maybe she had thought he was trying to con her, or even worse, pick her up. 

"Hey, Gumbo, snap out o'it!" Logan snapped his fingers in front of Remy's face.

Remy looked up at him and was about to make a smart remark when he saw Storm walk into the kitchen. There was that feeling of inadequacy again.

"Hello, Remy," she said, her voice cool and calm.

"Hello, Stormy," Remy replied.

Remy had expected her to make some comment about the use of the nickname that she hated so much, but she didn't say anything. She just walked across the kitchen and stopped in front of him.

"Welcome home, my friend." Storm wrapped her arms around him and Remy quickly moved to reciprocate. They hugged each other for what seemed like hours.

She broke away first, then punched him as hard as she could in the stomach. Remy almost dropped his coffee.

"Ow, Stormy, why'd-"

"This in no way means that all is forgiven, Remy, but I am glad you have returned to us." She smiled and patted his shoulder before walking over to Logan. She kissed his cheek and whispered something into his ear before leaving the kitchen all together.

Remy sighed and took another drink from his cup. "She hasn't changed much, eh, mon ami?"

Logan chuckled. "Nah, I guess she hasn't."

They laughed together as Logan made himself a cup of coffee and started making some bacon, sausage, and eggs. 

"What are you doing here?"

Logan and Remy both turned around to see Bobby standing in the doorway of the kitchen, a fierce look in his eyes.

"Hey, kid, calm-"

"Logan, don't stick your nose in my business. This is between me and Gambit," Bobby said through his teeth, then walked over to Remy.

Logan put an arm between the two men. "Now, listen here, Drake, there ain't gonna be any fights here. So, ya might as well turn yer frozen behind around an' scram."

"I don't fucking get it!" Bobby yelled. "Why does everyone keep taking his side? You of all people, Logan, should-"

"Whoa, I don't think ya wanna tell me what I should an' should not be doin', Drake. I ain't takin' any sides, but ya sure as hell ain't convincin' me ta agree with ya by startin' any brawls." Logan moved closer so that he was almost a wall between Bobby and Remy.

"He's not staying here!" Bobby shouted.

"I don't think that's yer call, Drake. And I don't think that this is a fight yer gonna win, so why don't ya cut yer losses an' go cool off," Logan told him.

"Why don't you let the traitor speak for himself, old man."

For the first time, Bobby's words stung Remy. He pushed Logan out of the way and moved so close to Bobby that they were almost touching.

"What you so 'fraid of, Bobby? Dat I'm gonna take your girl? Well, I got news for you, I already had her and she made it pretty clear t'me dat she's done wit me. What? Do you t'ink dat she can't resist my charm or somet'ing?"

Bobby was at a loss for words all he could manage was an "um."

"You are a poor excuse for a husband if you don' have dat much faith in her. So worried 'bout me dat you forgot what your point was, eh, Bobby? I may be a traitor, but at leas' I did what I t'ought was best. You...you are only out for yourself and dat's pretty sad," Remy said with a hint of anger.

"Don't compare me to you. We aren't anything-"

"You're right, mon ami, we aren't anything alike, but dat's a good t'ing in my case. I'd be one sorry fool if I were like you." Remy pushed Bobby out of his path and walked towards the hall. He stopped just before leaving the room and turned around, a smirk on his face. "And I'm not goin' anywhere, Bobby, so don' bother tryin' t'make me leave."

***********************************************************************

Remy walked down the hall, a new sense of confidence filling him up. He felt his old self start to replace the lonely and miserable character he had become seven years ago. He hadn't realized until just that minute how much he needed to be home.

"Shoulda n'ver left," he said to himself.

He walked past the Rec room, but stopped and backtracked. He looked into the room and saw a very thin redhead sitting on the couch in front of the television. It was Jean, but she didn't look like herself. Logan had said she wasn't the same, he couldn't have meant physically, could he?

"Jean?" Remy called out as he walked into the room.

She didn't answer him. She was staring at the TV. Remy moved behind the couch to see what she was watching and realized in an instant that it was the tape of Jean and Scott's wedding.

"Jean?" He repeated, but with no reply. He moved around the couch and sat down next to her.

She blinked a few times before slowly, almost too slowly, turning her head to look at him. She blinked again before her body shook and the blank look left her eyes. "Gambit?"

"Oui, Jean, it's me." He took her frail hand in his.

"When-? How-?"

"I came back yesterday, Jean. I came back t'stay," he told her.

Jean suddenly looked back at the television and saw Scott saying his wedding vows and she quickly turned away, looking at her hands. "Scott-Scott-Scott, he's g-gone, Remy," she sobbed.

He pulled her into the circle of his arms and held her while she cried. He had always felt like he had to protect her. Everyone thought she was so strong, but Remy knew that she had just as many weaknesses as anyone else on the team. As much as Scott loved her, he was always blinded and could never really see who she was and what she needed.

The problem was that most of the other men on the team were so infatuated with her that Remy could barely say hello to her without someone turning into a green-eyed monster. He watched her from afar though and that seemed to work...most of the time.

"I know, chere," was all he could say. 

"Don't ever leave again, please, Remy," she said after her crying had subsided.

"I won', Jean, I'm not goin' anywhere, I promise." He smoothed down her long red hair as he gently rocked her.

"Sometimes I still hear him, Remy, in my head." Her voice was low and tormented.

Remy brushed a strand of hair away from her face and turned her to look up at him. "'Ave you talked t'Xavier?"

She pushed away from him and sat up. She ran a slender hand through her hair. "I'm sick of talking to him. I'm sick of his little justifications of my feelings and emotions. I'm sick of him telling me it will get better in time. It's been six years, Remy, and I'm not ever going to get over it!"

"What would you like t'do, chere? Do you really want t'feel dis way for de rest of your life?" Remy asked, trying to be as comforting as possible.

She stared at him for a while. The look in her eyes told him she was looking for a reason to get angry at him, to push him away. She threw her hands into the air.

"I don't know. Not anymore. I've tried, I've tried so hard to find some way to forget. I even-" she abruptly stopped what she was saying and began shaking her head.

"What, Jean? What?"

She glanced up at him, then back at her hands. "I asked the Professor to erase my memory."

Her pain struck him hard. No wonder she never went to Scott's grave, no wonder she never talked to anyone, no wonder she tried to push everyone away. Every little thing reminded her of Scott and she couldn't take it.

Remy knew he couldn't say anything. Not without making her feel worse. In this case, it was better to leave the history in the past. 

He grabbed one of her hands and rubbed the back of it gently. "I 'ave an idea, Jean. Why don' we go out today?"

Jean looked up at him, a slight sparkle in her eyes. "Where would we go?"

"Anywhere, chere, anywhere."

Jean smiled for the first time since Remy had seen her. "Alright, let's go." 


	7. Chapter 7

All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write.

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Rogue walked down the hall in a daze. She still couldn't believe that Remy had returned after all this time. She had dreamed for so long that he would come back for her, but year after year, the dream drifted away. She knew in her heart that he wouldn't come back and she had finally let him go.

Then married Bobby.

"Aw, hell," she said to herself.

She had settled for Bobby. Sure, she cared for him, even loved him to some extent, but she wasn't in love with him. Maybe that wasn't fair to Bobby, but she had never lied to him about that.

"But that don't make it right, suga'," she told herself.

Rogue walked towards the kitchen and froze when she was in front of the doorway. Remy and Jean were making sandwiches and laughing. Rogue hadn't seen Jean laugh for years and it took her by surprise. 

Jean looked up at the doorway and stopped laughing. "Hello, Rogue."

"Hey, Jean," Rogue replied, trying to keep her voice cool.

Remy didn't look up at all, he just stared down at the sandwich he was making. The fact that he didn't even acknowledge her presence hurt Rogue, but she wouldn't let it show.

"Where y'all off ta taday?" Rogue went to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of soda.

Jean's face brightened. "Remy and I are going to the park for a picnic."

'So, what? Y'all a couple now?' Rogue thought.

*It's not like that, Rogue,* Jean answered back.

Rogue just stared at Jean. She hadn't used her telepathy since Scott had died. Her mental capabilities had been shot when her psyche shut down and after she had gotten her mind back together, she couldn't control her powers.

Rogue looked away as she opened the can and took a sip. She walked out of the kitchen, saying, "well, have fun," as she left.

Jean glanced over at Remy, who still had yet to look up. He looked so melancholy, his eyes lacking its usual glimmer. It had been Rogue.

Jean leaned over and poked him in the shoulder. He raised his head and smiled at her. 

"You still love her, don't you?" Jean said as she layed some cheese on a piece of bread.

"Jean, I don' t'ink'-"

"Stop. Just stop right there, Remy. Stop protecting yourself and tell me how you feel," Jean told him as she threw the bread on the counter.

Remy gave her a lost look. She had never been so straight forward before. Sure, she had always been one to point out the obvious, but had been a little more tactful in the way she had put it out.

"Do I even 'ave t'answer dat question?"

Jean shrugged. "I guess not. After all, I am a telepath."

"You been readin' my mind, chere?"

Jean laughed and picked up the bread again. She started piling on the cold cuts and vegetables. She looked over at Remy, who hadn't moved a millimeter since her comment.

"Your cute little laugh don' answer my question, ma p'tite chere," he said.

"No, Remy, I haven't been reading your mind. You should know me better than that," she replied as she cut the sandwich in half and wrapped it in plastic wrap.

"I've noticed dat I don' know any of you like I t'ought I did."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Logan turned the wrench once more and yanked out the bolt he had loosened. He tossed it into a coffee can and hopped off the front bumper of his Jeep. He stood back and stared at the confounded contraption that had been having problems for the past week. 

"Shit." He ran a greasy hand over his shirt and folded his arms.

"What's wrong, Wolvie?" Jubilee asked as she walked into the garage.

He groaned. He really didn't want anyone seeing his frustration. He used to be able to fix any car in his sleep, but after the whole mess with his memories being wiped out, he found that things weren't as easy for him.

"Jeep. Givin' me problems," he replied.

"Oh? Well, maybe someone can give you a hand. Maybe Remy, he's good at that stuff," Jubilee replied as she walked over to him.

"Remy, eh?" Logan grinned at her, then returned his gaze to the Jeep.

"What?"

"Nothin'."

Jubilee punched him in the shoulder and gave him a look. "Tell me."

Logan shrugged, then said sort of nonchalantly, "reviewed the security tapes from last night."

'Shit! He saw me go to Remy's room last night.' Jubilee knew she was in for it this time. Everytime Logan got wind of Jubilee's love life, he pried. 'Wait, Remy is part of my love life now? Oh, boy.'

"Yeah, so?" Jubilee tried to act unaffected or maybe even innocent. 

Logan turned to her, an eyebrow raised, his expression telling her that she was fooling no one with that act.

"What?"

"Jubes, don't play all innocent with me."

Jubilee sighed and nodded. "Yeah, so Remy and me had a conversation last night. That doesn't mean anything."

"What happened?"

"Oh, geez. I don't know what happened. I went there to welcome him back and suddenly my visit became...something else," she told him, but looking at his expression made her wish she had never said anything at all.

"What do ya mean 'somethin' else'?"

Jubilee realized he misunderstood her. He thought they had slept together or that Remy forced himself on her or something to either effect. "No, no, Wolvie. It's not like that, that's not what I meant."

"Well, then what did ya mean?" He was staring intently into her, trying to see if she was lying to him. She had done that in the past, lied to protect someone else from getting hurt, but this time she was being truthful.

"Just that I realized I might not have gone to his room for a little 'friendly' conversation," she replied, but figured she had more explaining to do when he didn't take his intense gaze away from her. "Come on, Logan, you must have known I sorta had a thing for Remy."

"Yeah, I knew, but I didn't think ya go off and try and seduce the man, Jubes," he said, running a hand through his dark hair, a troubled expression on his face.

"Seduce? I didn't try and seduce anyone and that includes Remy, Logan."

"What would ya call it then?"

Jubilee frowned. She didn't owe him or anyone else an explanation for her actions. In fact, he would never have known about her trip to Remy's room, if he hadn't been so obsessive about reviewing surveillance tapes every morning. Seemed to her that he was prying into the personal lives of his teammates and she didn't like it one bit.

"It's none of your business anyway, Logan. Why don't you butt out of my personal life and concentrate on your own?" Jubilee retorted, then turned to walk out of the garage.

"Hey! Don't turn yer back on me, young lady!"

Jubilee swung around and stared him down. "I'm not your kid so don't go acting like you're my father. You don't have any rights over me dammit!"

"The hell I don't, Jubilee! It's my job to make sure you don't go gettin' into trouble and ya sure as hell ain't makin' my job any easier by goin' out and seducin' a man twice your age," he growled at her.

"Damn you! You don't have any right to babysit me. I am a grown woman or haven't you noticed?" She yelled at him. "Yeah, that's right, Logan, I have breasts now. See?" She pointed to her chest.

"Hell!" He turned away from her.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Jubilee stalked out of the garage leaving Logan muttering obscenities and throwing tools.


	8. Chapter 8

_All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write_. 

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Remy walked out of the kitchen. He needed some air. The conversation had gotten a little too deep for his liking. He was glad Jean hadn't taken his leaving as an insult. She understood his need to privacy and accepted it.

He went in the direction of the front door but slowed when he noticed Jubilee running towards him. Her face was red and she seemed not to even notice his presence in the hallway.

"Jubilee?" He asked as she moved closer to him. She didn't stop, didn't look up, didn't even acknowledge that he was there.

She started past him, but he held out his arm and caught her around the waist. She fought against his hold, swinging her arms and legs as he picked her up and brought her close to him.

"Chere, stop! What's wrong wit you?" 

She stopped fighting him and looked up. She immediately relaxed her body. "Oh, Remy, it's you. I thought you were someone else."

"Who? You acted like a wolf caught in a trap. Must've been someone you aren' on good terms wit," he replied, the obvious concern on his face.

"Logan." She said his name like it was the most repulsive word ever to come from her mouth.

"Logan? What's he done now? He didn' hurt you, did he?"

"Just my pride, Remy."

Remy smiled. "Still treatin' you like de daughter he n'ver had, eh?"

"That's one way of putting it."

He nodded as he gently put her back down. "It's only 'cause he cares about you, chere."

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Don't start, Remy. I know he cares about me, but he has no right to butt into my personal life like he did just now."

"Personal life, eh? You got a boyfriend, Jubilee?" He grinned, leaning back up against the wall, folding his arms over his broad chest.

Jubilee made a sound of disgust. "No."

"Why not?"

"Why not? Why not? Maybe because I don't have the time for a boyfriend. Maybe because finding a decent man around here is near to impossible." She paused for a minute. "In any case, it's none of your business."

"Dat lonely, huh?"

"Oh, god, you have no idea!" Jubilee sighed, then smiled at the expression Remy was giving her.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked him, leaning her shoulder up against the wall beside him.

"Jus' a little."

"It's not like I've never had a boyfriend. But lately, I don't know," she said, looking up at him. 

"Dat's pretty normal for a fille your age. I know when I was dat young, all I could t'ink about was-" He smirked. "Well, n'ver mind what I was t'inking about."

Jubilee giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "What about you? Do you have a girlfriend back in New Orleans?"

Remy's smile slowly disappeared from his face. His hand went up to his head and he swiped it through his hair. "I did."

"What do you mean 'I did'?"

"I haven't seen her in a year."

Jubilee was a little bit taken back by his sudden unwillingness to talk. "What happened to her?"

He shrugged. "Don' know. Last I heard, she was flirting wit de company Sinister holds."

"Oh, geez, Remy, I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don' be. I knew who she was when I took up wit her."

Jubilee wasn't sure what to say now. She had figured that he had his secrets still, but she was surprised they included a girlfriend who, of all things, was associated with Sinister.

"Remy, I-"

"Look, Jubilee, I gotta meet Jean for our picnic. I'll talk to you later, all right?" He didn't wait for her to answer, swiftly walking away from her.

Jubilee watched him turn down another hall and started to wonder whether or not this girlfriend had anything to do with him coming back. Perhaps he had felt the pain of deceit and suddenly realized that what he was feeling was the same pain the rest of his teammates had been feeling when they learned of his past.

She didn't know. She knew that trying to guide her way through Remy's mind was impossible, but that didn't stop her from wanting to know more. Her problem from the beginning, getting involved with men with severely screwed up heads.

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Bobby slammed his fist on the table. Things were going to hell in a hand basket and he feared he wouldn't be able to stop them. Remy was right. Right about everything. It was that fact that made Bobby take his aggressions out on a piece of furniture.

His life had careful balance and Remy threatened that balance. It went beyond Gambit being the love of Rogue's life and the best friend to everyone but him. No, it was so much more than that.

At any moment, his life could crumble down around him. And no one would understand why he had done what he had done. No one would forgive him for doing what he needed to do. He was alone, all alone with no one to-

"Gambit." The name was like an epiphany. Remy LeBeau would understand because he had been there and experienced what it was like to harbor a secret that was so much bigger than himself.

The sudden new thought weakened his knees and he quickly moved to sit down. For much too long he had been holding his secret all the while it festered, boiling up into something he wasn't sure he could control. He was at the breaking point and soon...very soon...he would end up exploding.

It was time to confess. Bobby just hoped that Gambit would understand, otherwise, he would be in more trouble than he ever could imagine.

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	9. Chapter 9

All of the characters in the story belong to MARVEL, not me! I am just borrowing them for a while. I will return turn them in good condition with the price tags still attached. So don't sue me because I'm not getting paid for anything I write.

**Author's note: In one of my reviews, someone asked about Gambit and Jubilee's ages. Your guess is as good as mine. No one really knows how old any of the X-Men are except for their creators and of course, they would never tell us, the fans, anything, would they? I think it is safe to say, however, that Remy is about twice as old as Jubilee, give or take a couple years. I figure that when Jubilee was 13 (this is Jim's take on her age, originally she had been 15), Gambit was about 25 or 26. But we all know how weird the comic book time system is...hehe!**

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Remy knew that he would be confronting some inner demons when he returned to Westchester, but he didn't know the ghost of his most recent mistake would come back to haunt him.

He hadn't thought of her in almost six months, not since he decided to put her behind him. He would never forget that night when he saw her with Sinister and the night when he found out who she really was.

Truth be told, she had a lot to do with the reason he returned to the X-Men. Finally, he began to see what kind of damage secrets and lies could do. She betrayed him and didn't even have the decency to 'fess up when he had confronted her about it.

God, she had actually called him the crazy one. Her acting skills were right up their with DeNiro and he almost believed her. But physical proof was physical proof and he had seen her with his own two eyes.

To think he had been stupid enough to fall for her. The thought alone made him sick to his stomach. He despised Nathaniel Essex and his present alter ego just as much as he despised her now. For a long time, his hatred for her had surpased any hatred he had ever felt for anyone.

Now, she was just a ghost. A figment of his imagination or at least, that's what he liked to think of her as.

"Ya know, thinkin' that hard can get you into trouble, LeBeau."

Grateful for the temporary distraction, Remy turned to look at Logan. He was covered in heavy black grease and tiny scratches that healed before his eyes. "Dat's true, mon ami."

"I don't s'ppose ya saw Jubilee run through here, did ya?"

"Maybe."

Logan glared at him. "Maybe?"

"I saw her. Seemed none too happy t'ough. What you do t'her?"

"Nuthin'. Just a little argument."

Now it was Remy's turn to glare. When it came to Logan and Jubilee's arguments, 'little' would never be able to be used to describe them.

Logan leaned up against the wall and glanced at the floor. "I know it ain't none o' my business, but I like ta think of Jubilee as a daughter an' last night I noticed she went ta your room. And-"

"What you t'ink? I did somet'ing t'de fille?" Remy bordered between anger and disbelief. So that's what was going on. Everyone thought he was putting the moves on her.

"I don't know. I asked her about it an' she didn't give the straightest answer. Look, I know she's grown, but I'm not sure that you an' her is the greatest idea." 

Remy laughed. "Dis Cajun got enough problems. I'm not addin' Jubilee t'dem. Not'ing happened last night."

Logan let out a sigh of relief. Apparently, the though of Jubilee and Remy was cause for great concern on his part. Remy felt his temper flare a little. Just what was wrong with him, anyway? Would getting together with one of his teammates be that bad?

He remembered how everyone hated the idea of Rogue getting together with him. They sure as hell let both of them know just how against the relationship they were.

He needed to get out of the house for a while. Just him. Both days he had been there were not the easiest to get through and he needed some time to let it all really sink in. He had an hour or so before he had to meet Jean, maybe he would take a walk to clear his mind.

Hopefully, he could get her out of his head as well. Lyra Capelli had no place in his life and certainly not in his mind.

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Lyra twisted her body into a standing arch then kicked her leg up to meet her attacker's face. He fell with a thud and a groan of pain.

Both feet hit the floor and she stood up straight just in time to block a right jab to her stomach. She elbowed the new opponent and grabbed his head, bringing it down to contact with her knee.

"You know, we could just save some time and you could tell me where to find your boss," she told them as she punched a third man.

"Fuck you!" the first man down yelled.

"C'mon, I'll even make it worth your while. Just tell me where he is."

"We ain't sayin' nothin'!"

This was not working. For almost a year she had been looking for this dirtbag and all she had come up with was a few dead leads and a few dead lackeys. She had to come up with a better strategy.

She had been set up. Why she had no idea, but she knew who was behind it. This Sinister character.

For some reason, Remy had thought she had been involved with him somehow and ultimately ended their relationship over it. She didn't even know who this guy was except for a few tidbits she had picked up here and there.

All she knew was that as soon as word got out that she was involved with him, all of her contacts blew her off and she hadn't gotten any work done since.

She intended to find out why this guy was messing with her life. He shouldn't be...she wasn't the kind of person who let things go with a warning. He didn't know who he was dealing with.

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Plopping down on the couch, Rogue flipped on the television. 

She was jealous of Jean. It wasn't the first time, but it certainly had been a while. Not since before Scott's death had she wished she were in Jean's shoes.

Now Jean was occupying Remy's attention and she wanted to be the one he looked at with eyes of adoration. She was still in love with him.

What was she going to do? In love with one man and married to another. Would Remy take her back? 

No! She was married to Bobby and she cared about him and the life they had made. She wasn't going to go on and ruin the one solid thing in her life. She had a life now, a real life, and it made her happy.

But she would die if Remy took up with Jean.

"Good afternoon, Rogue," Storm said as she walked in as regal as ever.

"Hey, Storm."

"How are you feeling?"

Rogue frowned. She wasn't sure she was ready to talk about this with anyone. But of everyone, Storm was the one person she could talk to without judgement. "Not too good."

"You are confused by Gambit's return, is this not true?" Storm sat down softly on the couch, folding her hands in her lap.

Rogue nodded. "Ah don't know what ta feel. Ah'm glad he's back, but he complicates things."

"Have you tried to confront him?"

"Ye-" Come to think of it, she really hadn't. They never really talked besides the day before and that didn't count considering Bobby and Glory had been there. "No, Ah haven't."

Storm smiled warmly. "Then perhaps you should."


	10. Chapter 10

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Blah, blah, blah...you know the drill. The X-Men are the property of Marvel...read it, know it, live it!

~On a side note: To be honest, _The Long Road Back_ has kind of taken on a life of it's own. Trust me, I had every intention of doing certain things with this fic and now it has decided it doesn't want to be told what to do. Please bear with me while I wrestle my muse. Enjoy!~

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She was losing her mind.

Jean could feel it all slipping away. This was one of her better days and Remy was helping her to keep a tight grip on reality, but it wouldn't last. Within five years, she'd be reduced to a drooling vegetable. A shell, only a shell, of the woman she once was.

Losing Scott had been her breaking point. Anything else she could have coped with, but not the loss of the other part of her soul. That half died with him and now what was left was slowly deteriorating into nothing.

It was funny that the bond that had made her so strong was the same bond that was killing her day by day. She resisted the urge to laugh. Laughing made her feel even more crazy and she tried so hard to ignore the insanity.

She wished they had never gone on that trip, wished that they could have turned down Bobby's gift to them. 

After Gambit had left, Scott was so stressed that he barely slept. He had once told her that he had been a bad leader, that if he had been better at his job, at leading the X-Men, he could have kept Remy from leaving. He blamed himself for not being the type of person who could have helped Remy with his problems. As a leader, he should have been able to.

He had stepped down at that point, leaving Storm in charge. The weight that had lifted off his shoulders helped significantly, but not enough. He was still so depressed.

That vacation was supposed to have been his healing time. Away from the place and people that were the cause of such feelings of despair and failure.

When Bobby had come up to them and told them to pack because he was sending them away, they had been so surprised that they couldn't say no. A whole month in Martha's Vineyard, in a beautiful cottage with a seaside view. No worries or troubles, just them and the wonderful scenery.

But they never reached paradise. 

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Remy kicked the leaves and debris from the fallen log and quickly sat down. His head hurt with all of the thoughts running through his mind. It was all too much to deal with. He didn't think he could handle much more.

"Remy?"

The sweet Southern voice went through him like fine bourbon, smooth and warm. There was a time he would have given his life to hear her voice, but at the moment, she was the last person he wanted to be near.

"Rogue, dis really ain't de best time for dis." He raked a hand through his hair and moved to pull the pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket.

She was standing in from of him now. He could smell the magnolias that had always been present on her skin and could feel the soft glow that she gave off. He couldn't look up and he couldn't move. Hell, he could hardly breathe.

The shadow of her arm fell over him as she reached down. He recoiled, a purely instinctual move. 

"It's okay, suga'."

His eyes closed as the tip of her finger touched just under his chin and gently pressed upward. It took him a full minute to realize she wasn't wearing any gloves, but when he did, he felt a sharp sob rip through his chest.

God, how long had he waited for the simple contact of her skin against his. He felt such sadness and such joy at the same time.

"Remy, look at me."

His eyelids felt welded shut, but slowly he opened his eyes. His vision was blurred by tears he hadn't even known he was shedding.

She was his beautiful Southern queen, red hair floating around her body, deep green eyes glittering, skin so radiant it almost blinded him. She smiled, her lips moist and soft. 

He felt himself grab her around her thighs and pull her so close to him that she was practically an appendage. He couldn't let go and he wasn't sure he wanted to. The simple thought that she was another man's wife ran through his mind like a Wall Street ticker.

Her fingers ran through his hair and she held his head just below her bosom. She was breathing so slowly, her chest rising and falling at half the speed his was.

"Tell me what ya want me ta do, Remy. Tell me and Ah'll do it," she whispered so quietly that he almost didn't hear her.

What was she asking him to do? If he said the word right now, she would leave with him and never look back. She could be his.

Any man in his right mind would have taken advantage of the opportunity that lay before him, but Remy wasn't in his right mind. He hadn't been in a long time.

"Please, Remy, tell me. Tell me."

His breath steadied and he blinked away the saline tears. "Tell you? Tell you what, chere?"

He broke away from her and stood up. He could see it in her eyes. The uncertainty and the fear.

"You want me t'decide for you." He said it almost to himself and the air in his lungs became much too heavy. "Why would you do dat t'me, Rogue?"

Taking a step back, she couldn't do anything but look at him. "Do what ta you?"

His brow furrowed as he tried to decide if she really didn't know what she was asking of him. "Do you know how I feel 'bout you, Rogue? Don' you know dat I'd give my soul t'be wit you?"

She looked away for a moment, then returned her gaze. "Then what's the problem? Just tell me ya want me ta be with you and Ah'll-"

"You wouldn't be choosin' me, chere. I'd be choosin' me. It'd be empty because I'd know dat I wasn't enough t'make you decide for yourself. I can't make dat choice for you."

"Remy, Ah-"

"Go home t'your family, Rogue. If you want me t'make de decision for you, dat's what I'm choosing," he told her, his eyes averted.

Shaking her head, she said, "But what if I want ta be with ya?"

With a sobering breath, Remy walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Den dat's your decision t'make an' I won't talk you out of it. But I won't take less dan all of you."

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He was playing with fire by doing this.

Logan swiftly crept up to the bathroom door with every intention of scaring the bejesus out of his wife. He could hear the water running and he assumed she was in the shower.

*Heh-heh, naked!* He grinned as he crouched low to the ground, preparing himself to pounce through the door.

His legs sprung out as he sailed through the air and into the door. He tucked and rolled on the tiled floor. He heard her shriek before he saw the surprised look on her face.

When he finally stood up to claim his prize, he found that Ororo wasn't in the shower, but rather knelt in front of the toilet. Her skin was pale and a sheen layer of perspiration clung to her brown skin. He caught the vomit smell in the air and he felt himself start to panic.

"'Ro? Are ya okay, darlin'? What happened? God, 'Ro, tell me what's wrong so I can fix it!" 

He was shouting a mile a minute and Ororo had to smile even though her stomach was still too queasy to even move. Sometimes she had to wonder whether the old Logan would have lost his cool like this. She had a feeling...No.

"Logan, calm down," she said softly, the slightest noise making her head pound even harder.

"Hank isn't even here! Why'd you hafta get sick on me when Hank isn't here? I dunno what ta do. I-"

"Logan," she repeated a little louder. "It is all right, it is just morning sickness. It is very common, I assure you."

Logan slumped to the floor. "I forgot about that."

Ororo patted his leg and scooted over to him so she could lean against his solid frame. "What is wrong?"

Wrapping one arm around her, he brought the other up so his hand could smooth her hair back. "It's Jubilee. I feel like I didn't do right by her sometimes. I mean, I don't even know what I did wrong the first time. How the hell am I supposed ta change it if I don't even know what I did ta begin with?"

She chuckled. "Oh, my sweet, Logan. I have a feeling you will do just fine."

"I hope so, 'Ro. I hope so."


	11. Chapter 11

Hello All!

Well, its been a few years since I posted anything anywhere let alone finish my fanfic or even add to it. But now that I am back in the technological world after being absent for so long, look forward to seeing new chapters to _The Long Road Back _starring our favorite Cajun.

As always, questions and comments are welcome.

Thanks for the enormous patience…maybe?…from all of my loyal readers.

Jaesha


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